'Jesus would be with migrants in Calais, so that's where the Church should be'

A refugee finds a moment's rest Reuters

The need among refugees in Calais far outweighs the humanitarian aid available, according to British Christian youth worker who visited the camp yesterday.

Jamie Cutteridge, deputy editor of Premier Youthwork, was part of a group delivering supplies to the camp. He told Christian Today that not enough charities are helping organise aid in the makeshift camp known as 'The Jungle.' A food van opened once per day but resources were so limited and distribution so chaotic that hundreds are going without food, he said.

Cutteridge called for a "depoliticising and a re-humanising of the situation" as he explained the situation is seen as a political issue, not a humanitarian one.

One charity worker told him the reason their charity was not involved was because the situation was "too political".

He praised the BBC's Songs of Praise for broadcasting from the camp at the weekend. 

"Where would we have found Jesus at teatime on a Sunday? It wouldn't have been in a nice sleepy church, it would have been in the migrants' camp, so that's where the Church needs to be."

Today Home Secretary Theresa May joined her French counterpart, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, at Coquelles on the edge of Calais to agree a strategy for dealing with Calais. The deal is expected to focus on tighter security measures at the port as well as increasing aid to tackle the human trafficking behind the migrants' journeys.

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They will also meet with aid associations to discuss humanitarian support for the migrants.

This summer thousands of migrants have attempted to travel to the UK through the Channel Tunnel from makeshift camps around Calais.

Earlier this month, the UK pledged to add £7m to a fund designated to secure the port of Calais. The fund was established in September 2014 and was initially granted £10.5m over three years.

Today's meeting comes after officials said yesterday that the number of migrants arriving at the EU's borders is at a record high. Germany has seen a surge in migration from Syria as desperate people flee ISIS. The German Government now expects to receive up to 750,000 asylum seekers this year.

Last year the UK received 31,400 asylum applications, the majority of which were refused.

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